At a Democratic presidential debate in Miami Thursday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suggested that Seven Days had mischaracterized comments he made during a 2013 interview.
“Sen. Sanders, a Vermont newspaper recently released portions of an interview you gave in 2013 in which you said, ‘My own view on guns is: Everything being equal, states should make those decisions,’” MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said.
“No,” Sanders said, interrupting her.
“Has your thinking changed since then?” Maddow continued. “Do you now think there’s a federal role to play?”
“No, that’s a mischaracterization of my thinking,” Sanders said.
“It’s a quote of you,” Maddow responded, prompting laughter from the audience.
The quotation came from a March 6, 2013, interview that Seven Days conducted with Sanders in his Capitol Hill office. It was the first time the senator had agreed to speak to the newspaper in the nearly three months since a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
At the time, Sanders was weighing whether to support federal gun control measures proposed by then-president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden. Later in the interview, Sanders said, “If you passed the strongest gun-control legislation tomorrow, I don’t think it will have a profound effect on the tragedies we have seen, which are really tragedy.”
Seven Days included portions of the interview in a March 13, 2013, political column, but did not publish the quotation Maddow read at the debate until this week. That was featured in a cover story documenting Sanders’ complicated relationship with the National Rifle Association and the evolution of his position on gun rights during his decades in public office.
The online version of the story included audio of the interview. You can listen to it here:
At Thursday’s debate, Sanders answered Maddow’s question by referring to his failed 1988 campaign for Vermont’s sole seat in the U.S. House.
“Look, we have a gun crisis right now; 40,000 people a year are getting killed,” Sanders began. “In 1988, Rachel, when it wasn’t popular, I ran on a platform of banning assault weapons and, in fact, lost that race for Congress.”
Sanders made similar claims during his 2016 presidential campaign, but the Washington Post called them into question in this fact-checker. Though Sanders spoke frequently about his support for an assault weapons ban during his successful 1990 campaign for the House, there’s little evidence that the issue played a major role in his 1988 loss.
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Stickin’ to His Guns? The NRA Helped Elect Bernie Sanders to Congress. Now He’s Telling a Different Story.
Some newspaper stories suggest that Sanders was, in fact, more supportive of gun rights at the time than he now maintains.
“It’s a local control issue,” the Burlington Free Press quoted him as saying in an October 26, 1988, story. “In Vermont, it is not my view that the present law needs any changing.”
Nearly two years later, the Rutland Herald wrote in a June 16, 1990, story, “In the last congressional campaign, Sanders said repeatedly that gun control was a local issue and avoided taking a public stand on bans. He now denies that his support of assault gun legislation represents a change in his position.”
Asked this week for contemporaneous documentation of his 1988 position, Sanders’ presidential campaign provided only newspaper stories from the 1990 race.
During Thursday night’s debate, Sanders said that he now has a D-minus rating from the NRA. “And I believe that what we need is comprehensive gun legislation that, among other things, provides universal background [checks], we end the gun show loophole, we end the straw man provision,” he said. “And I believed in 1988, and I believe today, that assault weapons … are weapons from the military and that they should not be on the streets of America.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) interrupted Sanders, saying, “Your plan leaves them on the streets. You’d leave 15 million on the streets.”
“We ban the sale, we ban the sale and distribution and that’s what I’ve believed for many years,” Sanders responded.
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*The man stands for all that is good and right.*
He stands for one thing and one thing alone: power and money for Bernie. We*d have a Democratic president now if Bernie cared more about the country than himself.
*We tear down our own candidates over minor issues instead of looking at the big picture.*
Many of us ARE looking at the big picture and believe this old, raging narcissist is a terrible candidate and would make a terrible President.
Not sure why everyone is holding Bernies feet to the fire over an interpretation of something he said years ago. The man stands for all that is good and right. His stance on the issues is the only one I can accept and hes been fighting for us for years and years and years. Its a bummer how short-sighted, vindictive and tribal everyone is when it comes to politics. This is why democrats cant function and why disgusting trumpian trolls manage to snake their way into office over and over. We tear down our own candidates over minor issues instead of looking at the big picture.
Bernie lied and now is trying to say it was 7 Days that lied…just eh same old Bernie. No wonder he is having to keep[ restarting his campaign
I don’t think we need anyone else from New York City as president !
“suggested that Seven Days had mischaracterized comments he made during a 2013 interview” That is always his response when he is caught in a lie or try to change the subject. Sanders says all the newspapers, TV news always misquote him except the Burlington Free Press. FP loves kissing his butt.!! Sanders tells so many lies he can’t keep them straight. I remember when the NRA sent out the crap to NRA members to vote for Sanders. My husband and I sent the stuff right back to them with a strong letter, saying why would we even vote for the crook. He wasn’t for the troops nor gun owners. This so called senator has done NOTHING for Vermont or America much less have a real job..,
That’s the problem when you pander to every group of identity politics in order to stay in office, eventually you forget who you pandered to and when.
Time to retire,Bernie ! Hopefully after last night the two 70 year OLD white men are finished as
serious candidates . Can’t even respond to simple questions,ugh …
Can I get some hash browns with the waffle Bernie Sanders just served?
Warren has taken Bernie’s place and positions and isn’t a straight white male. His freefall began last night.